The Gaming Facility Location Board is closer to determining who may be eligible for a license
New York’s Gaming Facility Location Board (GFLB) is meeting for its final October session as it continues to evaluate applications for the state’s three available downstate casino licenses. The five-member panel has been holding weekly meetings this month, often behind closed doors, as it works toward a December 1 deadline to submit recommendations to the New York State Gaming Commission.
The process has slowed considerably since the flurry of public presentations earlier this year. The board, composed mostly of recent appointees with no direct ties to the gaming industry, is reviewing final proposals from three contenders: Bally’s Bronx, Resorts World New York City, and Metropolitan Park, which has partnered with Hard Rock International. MGM Resorts withdrew its bid earlier this month, leaving three projects for three potential licenses.
Each proposal is being judged on four criteria: economic impact and business development (70%), local impact (10%), workforce plans (10%), and diversity frameworks (10%). Once the GFLB finalizes its recommendations, the state gaming commission will make the ultimate decision on which projects move forward. Regulators could approve all three licenses, fewer than three, or delay some approvals into 2026.
Resorts World remains the frontrunner by some measures, offering the largest license fee and tax contribution, along with a $5.5 billion development plan and $2 billion in community benefits. Bally’s, meanwhile, has drawn attention for its heavy debt load and multiple large-scale projects in other states, including Chicago and Las Vegas. Hard Rock’s Metropolitan Park proposal is financially backed by New York Mets owner Steve Cohen, who remains a key figure in the bid’s stability.
The meeting comes amid growing pressure from state agencies, particularly the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which has already factored casino revenues into future budgets. Any delays in approval could widen New York’s projected $34 billion fiscal gap and complicate long-term funding plans for the state.
